70-200 f4L, 135L, or Sigma 50-100 ART

I go to a lot of car shows and currently I am loving the 50mm on my 80D as I walk around and take pictures however I try to get different shots from everyone else so I like to get the cars coming in and leaving too. My current 55-250mm isn't cutting it anymore for me and I do not have $2,000 to purchase a 70-200 f2.8 IS II again right now. My goal is to compress the background as much as possible. I have no problem filling the frame as the cars are always coming at me so which lens would fit me the best? I am assuming the 135L would be the best and I've owned it before but never took it to a car show. Any thoughts?

Edit: Returned my Tamron, Had focus issues in Al Servo.

DJHaze596 wrote in post #18126662
I go to a lot of car shows and currently I am loving the 50mm on my 80D as I walk around and take pictures however I try to get different shots from everyone else so I like to get the cars coming in and leaving too. My current 55-250mm isn't cutting it anymore for me and I do not have $2,000 to purchase a 70-200 f2.8 IS II again right now. My goal is to compress the background as much as possible. I have no problem filling the frame as the cars are always coming at me so which lens would fit me the best? I am assuming the 135L would be the best and I've owned it before but never took it to a car show. Any thoughts?

Edit: Returned my Tamron, Had focus issues in Al Servo.

Heya,

So, if you're focusing at a long distance to begin with (being on APS-C, filling the frame with a car, and shooting telephoto), faster aperture is the only way to get more isolation. Otherwise, get closer (proximity) to crush down depth of field and use wider lenses.

I would actually suggest you look at an 85mm F1.4 flavor, like the Sigma. The 85mm F1.4 on an APS-C will appear very similar to how the depth of field appears from a 135L on a full frame sensor.

++++

Here's 200mm F2.8 @ F2.8 on an APS-C. There's some isolation, but it's not profound. You have to stand far away from the subject (this increases depth of field) and F2.8 on APS-C isn't that isolating at long distance for a subject as large as a vehicle (but it would be if you were much closer, again, proximity crushing depth of field, but the vehicle would not fit in the field of view if you did that), but you could get 2 more stops of aperture, so if your goal is isolation, I'd suggest you look at F1.4 options or F1.8 options that are telephoto, like 85mm.

The same image done with 85mm F1.4 or 85mm F1.8 on APS-C would have smeared the background significantly more (due to 1 & 1/3rd and 2 stops wider aperture, along with closer focusing due to closer proximity, significantly closer).

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/BEqL​hL

easy, 70-200 f4L

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #18126665
easy, 70-200 f4L

Not much compression from the f4L in my experience.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/GfiV​d5

MalVeauX wrote in post #18126663
Heya,

So, if you're focusing at a long distance to begin with (being on APS-C, filling the frame with a car, and shooting telephoto), faster aperture is the only way to get more isolation. Otherwise, get closer (proximity) to crush down depth of field and use wider lenses.

I would actually suggest you look at an 85mm F1.4 flavor, like the Sigma. The 85mm F1.4 on an APS-C will appear very similar to how the depth of field appears from a 135L on a full frame sensor.

Very best,

Thanks for the reply, Why not just get the 135L then? More reach and probably a lot sharper at f2 vs f1.4?

MalVeauX wrote in post #18126663
faster aperture is the only way to get more isolation.

probably some semantics at work here, but OP said compression, IMO this article defines compression ... the way longer focal lengths include less of the background with the same apparent subject size.

Isolation can occur through both compression and greater background blur.

http://digital-photography-school.com …n-to-enhance-your-photos/

DJHaze596 wrote in post #18126670
Not much compression from the f4L in my experience.

@118mm

...

Short of getting a body with a larger sensor, then the Sigma 50-100 at f/1.8 maximum aperture would seem like you best option for this situation. OK so a 85 f/1.4 will give you 2/3 stop more DoF at 85mm, but I would expect that going to 100mm at f/1.8 would bring the DoF, and more importantly the blur amount outside of the DoF zone back pretty close. To match the DoF of the 135 f/2 on an APS-C sensor you would need to be shooting the 85 f/1.2. which is an almost perfect match for the "crop" effect on both focal length and aperture for FoV/DoF comparison. On an APS-C sensor, if 100mm is enough focal length it's going to offer the best DoF control.

Alan

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #18126677
...

I am just trying to replicate this as much as possible. even at 200mm at f4 I don't think I will get results like this (yes 1D sensor is a little bigger) 135L or 50-100 f1.8 is more my taste and the Sigma 50-100 f1.8 is tack sharp at f1.8 like the 135L is at f2. 85mm is not at f1.4.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/CV1G​dD

MalVeauX wrote in post #18126663
Here's 200mm F2.8 @ F2.8 on an APS-C. There's some isolation, but it's not profound. You have to stand far away from the subject (this increases depth of field) and F2.8 on APS-C isn't that isolating at long distance for a subject as large as a vehicle (but it would be if you were much closer, again, proximity crushing depth of field, but the vehicle would not fit in the field of view if you did that), but you could get 2 more stops of aperture, so if your goal is isolation, I'd suggest you look at F1.4 options or F1.8 options that are telephoto, like 85mm.

The same image done with 85mm F1.4 or 85mm F1.4 on APS-C would have smeared the background 1 to 2 stops more.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/BEqL​hL a590 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

Very best,

Than I would lean towards the Sigma 50-100 f1.8 or 135L f2, I can't go with the 85 as it's too close to my 50mm and it's not sharp at f1.4 I would be more comfortable with the other two lenses. Thanks for the information however.

50-100 F1.8 ART would be a great second option then. Wider would be useful when you need it, and instantly going to 100mm F1.8 for isolation, on APS-C, which will give decent isolation, just not maximum.

Very best,

DJHaze596 wrote in post #18126684
I am just trying to replicate this as much as possible. even at 200mm at f4 I don't think I will get results like this (yes 1D sensor is a little bigger) 135L or 50-100 f1.8 is more my taste and the Sigma 50-100 f1.8 is tack sharp at f1.8 like the 135L is at f2. 85mm is not at f1.4.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/CV1G​dD C&C_0100 (35) by Johnnie Butters, on Flickr

well then aperture is king, but notice the back of the Dart is OOF at 2.8

I'm still quite happy with my 70-200 2.8 MkI if that happens to be in your budget, seems like prices are inching down toward 1000 or 1100 bucks.

the 135L would come in second, followed by the 50-100 ART, the first would still be the 70-200 f2.8L base on your description "no problem filling the frame as the cars are always coming at me"

So far the reviews show not much issue(s) for AI servo on the 50-100 ART, but if AI servo is critical for your application, I believe the Canon glass should not have any issues in this mode.